The

Dynamic
Musician
Series:
Dynamic Stability and Breath
Volume 2
Four Feldenkrais Method Awareness Through Movement audio lessons and
guidebook. For wind instrumentalists and vocalists of all levels and abilities.

Improve your sound quality, pitch and expressive

capabilities, make practicing more comfortable and
enhance your musical performance
By John Tarr

Table of contents
Introduction to Volume 2
What is Dynamic Stability and Breath?

2
3

How to use this series

Part One
Audio Lessons
Guidelines for using the audio lessons
Lesson 5:
Lesson 6:
Lesson 7:
Lesson 8:

Oscillating your chest and abdomen

Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling
Pacing your breath
Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting
and extending your abdomen
Where to go from here

6
8
9
10
12
14

Part two
Body warm-ups
Guidelines for doing the body warm-ups

15

Body warm up 8:
Body warm up 9:
Body warm up 10:
Body warm up 11:
Body warm up 12:
Body warm up 13:

Oscillating your chest and abdomen- sitting

Oscillating your chest and abdomen- standing
Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- sitting
Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- standing
Pacing your breath
Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting
and extending your abdomen- sitting
Body warm up 14: Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting
and extending your abdomen- standing

16
18
19
20
21
22

Information about the Feldenkrais Method

Additional reading
About the Author

24
25
27

23

Introduction to Dynamic Stability and Breath Volume 2

Since the publication of Volume 1,which focuses more on the aspect of Dynamic Stability,
many users and workshop participants have reported an increase in comfort, ease of
standing/sitting as well as quality of sound and breath capacity, among other improvements.
These testimonies have come from a range of musicians from beginners to professionals.
Additionally, teachers have told me that they have used some of the Body-warm ups with
their students and they noticed improvement even after doing just a few movements. I have
even heard from pianists, string players and percussionists who have reported benets from
doing the lessons. The results from Volume one have exceeded my own expectations.
So how can this be, that awareness, which leads to better posture or dynamic stability as I
call it, can also facilitate an improvement in breathing for those who use breath to produce
their sounds as well as those who do not necessarily rely on breathing for sound production?
This is one of the secrets of the DMS:

An increase in bodily awareness will lead to an improvement in performance.

Volume 2 continues in this manner, but with a greater emphasis on dynamic breath. As
with the Volume one, I will not offer a how to method but rather an opportunity to rene
and deepen your understanding and awareness of how you breathe. This will increase your
breath capacity and control, which will have a direct effect on your ability to produce and
modulate the sound coming from your body or instrument.
If you already havent already done the lessons in Volume 1, I strongly recommend that you
do so rst (unless you have previous experience with the Feldenkrais Method) because the
lessons are designed as a sequence and will be most effective if done in the given order..
Will the lessons in Volume 2 lead to a further increase in Dynamic Stability as well as
Dynamic Breath? To answer that question, you need to do the lessons and nd out for
yourself.

What is Dynamic Stability and Breath?

Dynamic Stability and Breath focuses on the two most fundamental aspects of singing and
wind instrument playing: posture and breath. These two aspects are often thought of as
separate functions, but in order to breathe well you must have a stable and free base of
support while standing or sitting. If you improve your ability to sit or stand more freely and
easily, your ability to breathe will also improve. My experience in working with myself,
students and performers is that the most effective way to improve breathing is to include
posture as well. The lessons are not a breathing method or even lessons on how to breathe
correctly. Nevertheless, they will teach you how you can rene, deepen and improve your
breathing which, will enhance your singing or playing and performing.

How do you dene good posture?

A tricky question: Good posture is often associated with admonishments like sit up
straight or dont slouch while youre playing. This kind of well meant advice is rarely
helpful over the long term; because such advice does not help the person to whom its
addressed nd a way to be more comfortably upright. For others, good posture may mean
holding ones self up or being rigid and stiff, which is certainly not benecial in learning to
breathe more easily and effectively.
I would like to propose an alternative to the term good posture. When sitting or standing
feels comfortable and breathing feels free and easy, we can say we have Dynamic Stability.
For the remainder of this book, I will use the term Dynamic Stability rather than good
posture.

Dynamic Stability means being stable and comfortable in an upright position and having the freedom to move in all directions as well.
You may not even feel that you are moving and adjusting when standing or sitting, but if
you take a moment and just sit without leaning back on your chair, and pay attention to the
position of your head, your breathing and the contact you have with the chair, you will begin
to notice that you are making tiny little adjustments all of the time. This becomes even more
obvious while standing. The mere fact that you are breathing also means you are in motion.
Now try holding yourself still for a moment. You may notice that you begin to restrict your
breathing, and actually tighten the muscles in your belly, back and chest just to keep from
moving. If you do this for very long, it begins to get tiring. At any stage in our development,
regardless of age, we can rene and improve our nervous systems ability to keep us balanced
and upright. This in turn will enhance our breathing and hence benet our singing/playing.

Next, we come to the question, what does it mean

to breathe well?
There are as many opinions about breathing as there are teachers and performers. Some
breathe the way they were taught; others have found ways that work well for them through
experimentation and exploration. Is there one right way to breathe while making music? No.
Do singers need to breathe differently than oboists? Absolutely. And of course, an oboist
breathes differently than a utist or tuba player. Because each person has his/her own
body, habits and ideas about breathing, no two persons will ever breathe alike. Breathing is
individual and changes from moment to moment. Breathing can be affected by mood, the
time of day and most importantly, what you are doing. You breathe differently when you
are walking than when sleeping. When hurrying, you breathe differently than when having a
cup of coffee or tea. Different styles of music require various nuances in air pressure, rate of
ow and breath control. So how can you know when you are breathing well while playing or
singing?

Now that is an interesting question!

At this point, Id like to suggest an answer to the question above: You can say you are
Breathing Dynamically when sitting or standing feels comfortable, breathing feels free
and easy and you are able to produce a tone quality which is appropriate to the musical
expression as well as pleasing to the ear. I use the term Breathing Dynamically because
breathing, like stability in sitting or standing, is always changing to t and support your
actions according to the situation in which you are performing or practicing. This of course
is a simple answer to a very complex question, but the feeling of freedom and ease and
tone quality are important and reliable indicators in guiding us to nding our way along the
complex and sometimes confusing road to Dynamic Breathing.

Because this series is based upon awareness and experience, the best way to
understand what Im talking about is to do the audio lessons.
4

How to use this series

Volume 1 introduces you to the DMS lessons and focuses on Dynamic Stability in sitting and
standing. You will begin to notice improvements in your posture as well as your breathing.
Volume 2 builds upon the previous lessons with more emphasis on Dynamic Breath, which
explores different types of breathing so you can further rene and deepen your own personal
way of breathing.
If you havent already done the lessons in Volume 1, I recommend doing them rst, as
they build the foundation for these lessons, which are more complex. If you already have
experience with the Feldenkrais Method you may start with Volume 2.
The rst time through, do the lessons in the given sequence. Allow a few days or a week
between the lessons and use the body warm-ups to reinforce the learning between lessons.
If a particular audio lesson seems difcult or unclear, you may want to repeat it before going
on to the next lesson.
After going through the lessons, you may want to go back and repeat some of the lessons
to clarify or reinforce something you noticed the rst time. If you feel one or more of the
lessons were particularly interesting and benecial, you can repeat the lesson(s).
I highly recommend having your instrument handy so you can play a few tones or a scale
before and after each audio lesson to feel the effects. Singers can sing a few phrases or tones
for the same reason. After doing this, I recommend taking a break before further practicing.
Start up playing/singing slowly so you can feel the changes from the lesson and incorporate
them into your singing/playing.
If it is not possible to play or sing directly after the audio lesson, be sure to do one of the
corresponding Body warm-ups before starting to sing/play the next time. This will recall
the material from the audio lesson and help you to integrate the learning into your singing/
playing.
After you have nished the series, you can integrate the Body warm-ups into your daily
practice routine. From these, you may pick and choose which ones seem most useful. You
may also want to review the audio lessons from time to time to refresh your learning process.
Eventually, you may come up with your own body warm-ups or integrate movements from
other sources.
I have not included theoretical and anatomical explanations of Dynamic Stability and
Breath because in-depth explanations of the DMS process would greatly increase the
amount of text in this book. If you need more information in this area you will nd several
sources on page 25, which deal with anatomical and verbal explanations of breathing.

Guidelines for using the DMS audio lessons

Find a time and quiet place where you will be undisturbed. Arrange your time during the
lesson to be as distraction free as possible. Turn off the phone, etc.
For some of the DMS lessons, you will be lying on the oor, so you will need enough room
to comfortably lie with your legs long and your arms outstretched to the sides. The oor
surface needs to be soft enough so you will be comfortable, but rm enough so you can feel
your contact with the oor. A hard oor (such as wood, linoleum or concrete) can be made
softer with a few blankets. A mattress is too soft. The most important thing is that you are
comfortable. You may also use a folded towel if you would like some support under your
head (a pillow is too soft). You may nd that the oor becomes more comfortable as you
progress through the series of lessons.
Other lessons will be done while sitting in a chair. Use a chair or stool with no armrests
and of a height that allows you to place your feet fully upon the oor. Also make sure that
the seat of your chair is not sloping downward to the back. This tends to rock your pelvis
backward and round your spine, making it difcult for your spine to support you head,
shoulders and arms.
Wear comfortable, loose tting clothing. Remove your shoes, glasses and belt if you have
them. Make sure you are warm enough while doing the lessons.
Because these lessons are about feeling and paying attention to how you move, it is
important to move slowly and gently. If you move too quickly or strain, you will miss valuable
opportunities to learn. The benet these lessons offer come from sensing and feeling, not
from stretching and strengthening, which means less is more.
Rest more often than you need to. During the lessons, you will be given many opportunities
to rest. You may not even feel tired or that you need a rest. Take one anyway. If you feel tired
before a pause is given, you can pause earlier. You can even stop the CD and rest longer if
needed. Rests are very important because they allow your nervous system to integrate the
changes occurring from doing the movements. The feeling of fatigue or strain only interferes
with the learning process because your nervous system becomes preoccupied with feeling
the tiredness, and not the effects of the movements.
If you have chronic pain or injury and nd that doing some of the movements aggravates
your condition, you may need to modify the movements to suit your particular abilities. You
may experience some improvement or elimination of chronic pain symptoms from doing the
lessons. If you have very serious symptoms, you should seek the advice of your physician,
Feldenkrais Practitioner (see Appendix A for more details), or other trained health
professional before starting the lessons.

Each lesson begins and ends with a body scan while sitting, lying or standing. The purpose of
the scan is to guide your attention to certain areas of your body and to provide a context in
which you may feel the effects of the lessons. During the scan, I will be asking questions like:
Does one leg seem heavier than the other? Notice where you feel some ease in breathing,
or directing your attention to certain parts of your body. You may not sense some of the
differences I mention, which is ne. You may also sense some things that I dont mention and
this is perfectly normal. As you progress throughout the lessons, your ability to sense and
feel yourself will grow and become more acute.
Because some of the lessons are done while lying on the oor and others in sitting, the
positions will be listed at the beginning of the lesson introduction so you can prepare your
working space before starting the lesson.
Each lesson (except number seven) introduction has a few photos, which I call visual cues
to help orientate you to some of the positions and movements during the lessons. These are
suggestions and do not have to be exactly as in the picture.
When breathing during the lessons, make sure your breath is free and easy. In some parts of
the lessons, you will be asked to coordinate your breathing with your movement or you will
be asked to breathe while staying in a certain position. There is no need to make a sound or
breathe in a special way while doing this. Make sure your throat and lips are open if you are
breathing through your mouth. I suggest doing some breathing through your nose as well.
Getting up from lying after a lesson. In some of the lessons you will need to get up from lying
to standing. This transition is very important for bringing the learning from on the oor into
being upright. It is important to get up by slowly rolling to one side and then coming up to
sitting. Sit for a moment and then slowly come up to standing. When you are standing, take
a few moments to feel your feet on the oor and your breathing. Take some time to walk
around before continuing with your practicing or daily activities.
If you decide you want to repeat some (or all) of the lessons, you can skip the introduction part
on the CD.

Now youre ready to get started!

Lesson 5
Oscillating your chest and abdomen
CD 3: Introduction Track 1
Lesson
Track 2
Lesson positions: Lying and sitting (Have your chair ready for the end of the lesson)
Corresponding Body warm-ups
8. Oscillating your chest and abdomen- sitting

Page 16

9. Oscillating your chest and abdomen- standing

Page 18

In this lesson, you will be alternating expanding your chest and abdomen. This may seem
quite strange at rst so it is very important to keep the movements subtle and small at
rst. After a few repetitions you will probably nd the movements becoming easier and
even pleasurable. You have already been working with softening the chest in the rst three
lessons and this lesson will build on that. My experience is that most singers/wind players
catch on to this lesson fairly quickly because they have already spent so much time working
with their breathing. One of the important aspects of this lesson is the softening of the
ribs and abdominal muscles, which will help increase your ease with inhaling and breath
capacity. This lesson is also useful for developing subtle breath control and relaxing your
whole breathing apparatus. I nd doing a few of these movements helps me to relax during a
practice session and improves my tone quality.

You may place a folded towel or

some padding under your head if
it feels more comfortable.

If possible, let your elbows rest on the oor when you have your
hands on your chest and abdomen. If this is not comfortable, you
can place some folded towels or pads under your elbows.
8

Lesson 6:
Exhaling while extending your lower abdomen
CD 3: Introduction Track 3
Lesson
Track 4
Lesson positions: Lying, sitting and standing (have your chair ready for the end of the
lesson)
Corresponding Body warm-ups
10. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- sitting

Page 19

11. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- standing

Page 20

In this lesson, you will learn to exhale while extending your lower belly. For some, this may
seem impossible or even ridiculous. Interestingly enough, it is possible and it works. If you
observe somebody laughing fully and deeply, you will notice that their belly protrudes as
they produce sound. Another example of this is coughing. If you place your hands on your
lower belly and cough with an open throat, you will notice that your belly is extending while
you are coughing (which is an extreme form of exhalation). Of course it is also possible
to cough by contracting your belly, but this is much less effective. What do coughing
and laughing have to do with making music? Perhaps not much, but the freedom in your
abdominal muscles can have a profound effect on your tone quality and softness in your
throat, and you will gain more control over your abdominal muscles. I have found that when
students and even accomplished musicians tighten their lower bellies their throats also
can become tight and tone quality suffers. The ability to regulate the tension in your lower
abdominal muscles is a crucial skill. Personally, I nd doing a few movements from this
lesson can help restore the freedom in my abdomen even when Im in a performing situation.

Lesson 7
Pacing your breath
CD 4: Introduction Track 1
Lesson
Track 2
Lesson position:

Lying on your back

Corresponding Body warm-up

12. Pacing your breath

Page 21

This is the quietest lesson of all the lessons and you will pace your breathing by tapping
your nger. The breath cycle will be divided into four parts; (1) Inhaling, (2) Stopping the
breath before exhaling, (3) Exhaling and (4) Waiting before inhaling again. When playing
or singing, we usually need to inhale as quickly as possible and exhale over a longer
period of time. Slowing down the breath cycle into equal parts allows you to examine
what happens with your throat, neck, back and abdomen during the various phases of
breathing. An important aspect of this lesson is to notice how you stop your breathing.
One common way is to stop the air in the throat. This causes unnecessary tension in
your throat, neck and chest. However, it is possible and benecial to stop the breath by
stopping breathing rather than holding the breath. Related to this aspect is also the
regulation of the airow. In this lesson you will improve airow regulation by rening the
movements of your diaphragm, abdominal muscles and chest, so it is very important that
your throat and mouth stay open and relaxed during the lesson.

exh a l e

inhale

A graphic representation
of the breathing cycle
might look like this.

pause

p a us e

10

Another thing to notice during the lesson is, how you begin to inhale after stopping the
breath. In an attempt to inhale as quickly as possible, some performers will make small
extra movements in their chest, back and neck as if they were gulping for air. This causes
unnecessary movement and may even lead to increased tension.
How do you react to having to wait before inhaling? Some people will begin to have a
sense of unease or even panic while waiting to breathe in again. If you begin to have
uncomfortable sensations during the lesson, pause for a bit and breathe as you normally
would until you feel better. You can even stop the CD, or in extreme cases, stop the lesson and start again later. Ironically, this waiting to breathe is often what is required of
singers/vocalists and wind players. We have to t our breathing to the tempo and style
of the music and breathe in appropriate places so as not to disturb the phrase. Perhaps a
personal account can better explain what I mean.
During a workshop where we were doing many long variations of this lesson over the
course of four days, I began to feel a sense of panic during the longer pauses before
inhaling. I realized this panic came from the idea that I might not get enough air again. I
also noticed that I was making some unnecessary movements in the back of my neck and
chest when inhaling after waiting. When I came home and began practicing the trombone, I discovered that the same subtle feeling of panic would start to crop up in longer
phrases and I would begin to tighten my neck and throat. Becoming aware of this pattern
enabled me to breathe more smoothly and efciently. In working with music students,
performers and teachers, I have often found a similar tendency when inhaling. Many of
my students have reported a sense of well-being and calmness after doing this lesson.

11

Lesson 8
Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting and extending
your abdomen
CD 4: Introduction Track 3
Lesson
Track 4
Lesson positions: Lying on your back and on both sides
You wont need a pillow for your head while lying on your side because you will rest your
head on your arm (of course, if the given position is not comfortable for your arm and/or
head, use some support under your head).
Corresponding Body warm-ups
13. Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting
and extending your abdomen- sitting

Page 22

14. Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting

your abdomen- standing

Page 23

Up to this point, very little has been said about the process of inhaling and there is a reason
for this. Many schools of breathing give very detailed instructions on how to inhale to
achieve maximum capacity and efciency. There are numerous rules such as dont lift your
shoulders, only breathe into your belly and hold your chest open just to name a few that
I have heard over the years. As with posture, these well meant instructions often neglect
the students own awareness and miss the chance for the student to nd out how he/she
senses what he/she is doing. In the DMS, part of the learning and improvement that takes
place is simply because the student becomes more aware of what is going on in her/his own
body while breathing through sensing and feeling. Another aspect of the improvement from
this series is that your nervous system is organizing your movement and breathing to become
more efcient and dynamic.

How can this be?

By now, you probably have noticed that as your breathing becomes freer, inhaling becomes
easier too. If this is the case, then you have experienced how your body can organize its
self (i.e. you) to work more efciently. This happens because our nervous systems want to
do things as easily and efciently as possible. This capability came about in our evolution
to conserve energy when food was scarce. Now we can use this inherent intelligence of our
nervous systems to improve singing and playing.
This last lesson will stimulate your bodys inherent ability to inhale without needing the
kind of conscious guidance taught by the various schools of breathing. You will also get to
experiment with the type of exhaling from lesson six and compare that to the more common
form of exhaling while contracting your abdomen.
12

Support your head as you

gently bring it a bit forward
while exhaling.

13

Where to go from here

So now that you have completed the audio lessons I hope you are feeling that being upright
and breathing have become easier and freer, i.e. more dynamic. You may also have noticed
that after an audio lesson you feel the improvements quite clearly and then with time you
notice the effects begin to wear off. There may be several reasons for this. One is that
after a lesson you feel some clear changes that enhance your singing/playing, and then as
you integrate them in to your normal self, the changes feel less dramatic. Another reason is
that you may be dealing with strong habits developed over many years. These habits have
been more or less successful so far, so your nervous system may not see the need to change.
For example, if you learned to hold your the chest still when breathing and have done this
for a long time and in many situations, you will most likely resort to that pattern in times of
pressure or stress. One way to change this pattern is rst to become aware of it and then to
review some of the lessons from this book. Permanently changing such patterns often takes
place over a longer period of time.
After workshops I am often asked, how can I make the improvements stick? My reply to
this question is to ask, how do you make improvements for example in your embouchure
or tone quality stick? The answer is usually that you have to keep working to improve for
the whole of your musical life. This is the same with breathing and being upright, and the
study of self-awareness is a never-ending process. My goal with these lessons is to stimulate
you to look for new possibilities and answers, as you would learn new music and rene your
technique. Another possibility would be to seek out the help of a Feldenkrais Practitioner
(or other practitioner) to continue your learning. There are also many Feldenkrais
Awareness Through Movement lessons available on cassette and CD. I rmly believe that
some sort of body awareness practice should be an integral part in the study and practice of
music.

14

Body warm-ups
Body warm-ups are to be used between the audio lessons to reinforce the learning process
and as a short preparation for practicing/performing. These lessons are short and can be
done wherever you are practicing or warming up. After you have gone through the audio
lessons, you may use the body warm-ups in any way you feel suits your needs that day. These
lessons will be most effective when used in conjunction with Volume 2 of Dynamic Stability
and Breath or by people who have attended a DMS workshop.

A few guidelines
Do all of the movements slowly and gently. Make sure you are comfortable while moving.
Never strain or stretch while doing the movements.
Pause or rest before you feel any signs of fatigue.
Use the Body warm-ups at the beginning of your practice session before singing or
playing.
You can also use the lessons during or after a practice session to refresh yourself or
take a break.

Body Warm-up table of contents

8.

Oscillating your chest and abdomen- sitting

16

9.

Oscillating your chest and abdomen- standing

18

10. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- sitting

19

11. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- standing

20

12. Pacing your breath

21

13. Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting

and extending your abdomen- sitting

22

14 Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting

and extending your abdomen- standing

23

15

8. Oscillating your chest and abdomen- sitting

This body warm-up can also be done while lying on your back with your knees bent and feet
standing as in audio lesson number 5. For some, this position will be easier at rst than while
sitting. You may also repeat this body warm-up during your practice session if you feel your
breathing becomes tight or restricted.
1. Sit so that your back and pelvis are free from the back of the chair. Have your feet resting
fully on the oor and a comfortable distance apart from each other. Make sure your knees
are over your feet so that your lower legs are roughly perpendicular to the oor. If your feet
do not easily rest on the oor then sit a bit more forward on the chair.
2. Notice the feeling of ease breathing into your abdomen and then into your chest. Does your
abdomen feel freer than your chest or your chest freer than your abdomen? Perhaps they
feel about the same.
3. Place one hand on your breastbone and the other on your belly over your belly button (see
visual cue from audio lesson 5). With your hands, feel the movement of your belly and your
chest. Make sure your hands are soft and light so they do not interfere with your breathing.
4. Breathe now so that you move the hand on your belly more than the hand on your chest.
Repeat this for several breaths and then go back to breathing the way you were before.
5. Now breathe so that the hand on your chest moves more than the hand on your belly. You
may have to gently restrict the movement in your belly in order for your chest to move
more. Repeat this several times and then rest your hands on your thighs.
6. While resting your hands, notice the feeling of ease while breathing. Has your belly become
freer, your chest, both?
7. Place your hands once again on your chest and abdomen. You may switch your hands if you
like. Breathe in about two-thirds to three quarters of your full capacity and hold your breath.
While holding your breath, begin to push the air down into your belly and then up into your
chest. You may use your hands to gently guide the movements of your belly and chest. Make
sure you are not arching your lower back as you push the air down into your belly. Repeat
this several times and then exhale. Take a few regular breaths and repeat the above process
several times. Rest your hands on your thighs.
8. Placing your hands again on your chest and belly, begin to take in air and hold your breath.
Oscillate pushing the air into your chest and into your belly. Begin to experiment with
the rhythm of the oscillations. Try a few very slowly and then a few more quickly. You
may nd a rhythm that works easiest for you. While experimenting with different speeds,
make sure you exhale and rest for a few breaths before you feel short of breath. Continue
experimenting as long as is interesting and then rest your hands again.

16

9. Place your hands once again on your belly and chest and begin oscillating back and forth
between belly and chest. Find a rhythm that you can easily sustain. Once you have found
this rhythm, begin exhaling slowly while continuing the oscillations. You may be able to
oscillate several times before the air runs out, at which time you can rest for a few breaths
and start over. Repeat his several times and keep the exhalation smooth and steady. If you
are breathing through your mouth, make sure your lips, jaw and throat are relaxed. It is
important to control the exhalation with your chest and belly muscles and not by adding
resistance from your mouth and/or throat. Rest for a moment with your hands on your
thighs and notice the sense of ease in your chest and in your belly.

17

9. Oscillating your chest and abdomen- standing

If you nd it difcult to do the oscillating movements while standing, do them rst while sitting
as in Body warm-up 8. You may also repeat this body warm-up during your practice session if you
feel your breathing becomes tight or restricted.
1. Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart and have your knees slightly bent. Let your
arms hang down at your sides. Notice the feeling of ease breathing into your abdomen and
then in your chest. Does your abdomen feel freer than your chest or your chest freer than
your abdomen? Perhaps they feel about the same.
2. Place one hand on your breastbone and the other on your belly over your belly button. With
your hands, feel the movement of your belly and your chest. Make sure your hands are soft
and light so they do not interfere with your breathing.
3. Breathe now so that you move the hand on your belly more than the hand on your chest.
Repeat this for several breaths and then go back to breathing the way you were before.
4. Now breathe so that the hand on your chest moves more than the hand on your belly. You
may have to gently restrict the movement in your belly in order for your chest to move more.
Repeat this several times and then rest your arms down by your sides.
5. While resting, notice the feeling of ease while breathing. Has your belly become freer, your
chest, both?
6. Place your hands once again on your chest and abdomen. You may switch your hands if you
like. Breathe in about two-thirds to three-quarters of your full capacity and hold your breath.
While holding your breath, begin to push the air down into your belly and then up into your
chest. You may use your hands to gently guide the movements of your belly and chest. Make
sure you are not arching your lower back as you push the air down into your belly. Repeat
this several times and then exhale. Take a few regular breaths and repeat the above process
several times. Rest your arms and shift your feet a bit if you need.
7. Placing your hands again on your chest and belly, begin to take in air and hold your breath.
Oscillate pushing the air into your chest and into your belly. Begin to experiment with the
rhythm of the oscillations. Try a few very slowly and then a few more quickly. You may nd a
rhythm that works easiest for you. While experimenting with different speeds, make sure you
exhale and rest for a few breaths before you feel short of breath. Continue experimenting as
long as is interesting and then rest your arms again.
8. Place your hands once again on your belly and chest and begin oscillating back and forth
between belly and chest. Find a rhythm that you can sustain easily. Once you have found this
rhythm, begin exhaling slowly while continuing the oscillations. You may be able to oscillate
several times before the air runs out, at which time you can rest for a few breaths and start
over. Repeat his several times and keep the exhalation smooth and steady. If you are breathing
through your mouth, make sure your lips, jaw and throat are relaxed. It is important to control
the exhalation with your chest and belly muscles and not by adding resistance from your
mouth and/or throat. Rest for a moment with your arms hanging at your sides and notice the
sense of ease in your chest and in your belly. Take a few steps to refresh your feet before
singing/playing.
18

10. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- sitting

This body warm up can also be done while lying on your back with your knees bent and feet standing.

1. Sit so that your back and pelvis are free from the back of the chair. Have your feet resting fully
on the oor and a comfortable distance apart from each other. Make sure your knees are over
your feet so that your lower legs are roughly perpendicular to the oor. If your feet do not easily
rest on the oor then sit a bit more forward on the chair.
2. Notice if you sense some movement in your lower abdomen (between your belly button and
pubic bone) as you inhale and exhale. Does this area feel free to expand and contract as you
inhale and exhale? If you are not already doing so, hold your lower abdomen still so that it
cannot move as you breathe. Notice if this has an effect on your feeling of ease in breathing. Let
that go.
3. Place one hand on your chest (see visual cue from audio lesson 5) and one on your lower belly
below your belly button. Breathe in two thirds to three fourths of your full capacity and hold
your breath. Begin to oscillate between your chest and lower belly, similar to Body warm-ups
eight and nine except that you begin to think of pushing the air deeper into your lower belly.
It might be helpful to imagine a ball of air going into your lower belly (of course there is no air
going down that far) and massaging those muscles from the inside. Let the air out when you
need to, rest for a few breaths and then start up again. Repeat this process several times and
then rest your hands on your thighs.
4. Place your hands once again on your lower belly and chest and begin oscillating back and forth
between lower belly and chest. Find a rhythm that you can easily sustain. Once you have found
this rhythm, begin exhaling slowly while pushing into your lower belly and continue oscillating
until you run out of air. Rest for a few breaths and start over. Repeat this several times and keep
the exhalation smooth and steady. If you are breathing through your mouth, make sure your
lips, jaw and throat are relaxed. It is important to control the exhalation with your chest and
belly muscles and not by adding resistance from your mouth and/or throat. Rest for a moment
with your hands on your thighs and notice the sense of ease in your chest and in your belly.
5. Place both of your hands on your lower abdomen so that your ngertips are pointing towards
each other. Again take a moment to sense the movement under your hands. Breathe in and hold
your breath for a moment. Gently push the air into your lower belly and when you feel your
lower belly push out, begin to exhale slowly. Keep pushing your lower belly out until you run
out of air. Let your lower belly soften. Rest for a few breaths and repeat this sequence until you
feel your lower belly softening. Rest your hands on your thighs.
6. Place both of your hands on your lower abdomen so that your nger tips are pointing towards
each other, breathe in and gently push your lower belly out when you begin to exhale. Continue
breathing out until you run out of air and let your lower belly soften. Rest for a few breaths and
start the process again. Repeat this sequence several more times before beginning to play or
sing.
You may want to play/sing a few notes breathing this way as you start your practicing. You can also
repeat step number six during your practice session or performance if you feel your lower belly
beginning to tighten.
19

11. Extending your lower abdomen while exhaling- standing

1. Stand with you feet a comfortable distance apart and have your knees slightly bent. Let your
arms hang down at your sides.
2. Notice if you sense some movement in your lower abdomen (between your belly button and
pubic bone) as you inhale and exhale. Does this area feel free to expand and contract as you
inhale and exhale? If you are not already doing so, hold your lower abdomen still so that it
cannot move as you breathe. Notice if this has an effect on your feeling of ease in breathing.
Let that go.
3. Place one hand on your chest (see visual cue from audio lesson 5) and one on your lower
belly below your belly button. Breathe in two thirds to three fourths of your full capacity
and hold your breath. Begin to oscillate between your chest and lower belly similar to Body
warm-ups eight and nine except that you begin to think of pushing the air deeper into your
lower belly. It might be helpful to imagine a ball of air going into your lower belly (of course
there is no air going down that far) and massaging those muscles from the inside. Let the
air out when you need to, rest for a few breaths and then start up again. Repeat this process
several times and then rest your arms down to your sides.
4. Place your hands once again on your lower belly and chest and begin oscillating back and
forth between lower belly and chest. Find a rhythm that you can easily sustain. Once you
have found this rhythm, begin exhaling slowly while pushing into your lower belly and
continue oscillating until you run out of air. Rest for a few breaths and start over. Repeat
several times and keep the exhalation smooth and steady. If you are breathing through
your mouth, make sure your lips, jaw and throat are relaxed. It is important to control the
exhalation with your chest and belly muscles and not by adding resistance from your mouth
and/or throat. Rest for a moment with your arms down by your sides and notice the sense of
ease in your chest and in your belly.
5. Place both of your hands on your lower abdomen so that your ngertips are pointing
towards each other. Again take a moment to sense the movement under your hands. Breathe
in and hold your breath for a moment. Gently push the air into your lower belly and when
you feel your lower belly push out, begin to exhale slowly. Keep pushing your lower belly
out until you run out of air. Let your lower belly soften. Rest for a few breaths and repeat
this sequence until you feel your lower belly softening. Rest your arms.
6. Place both of your hands on your lower abdomen so that your nger tips are pointing
towards each other, breathe in and gently push your lower belly out when you begin to
exhale. Continue breathing out until you run out of air and let your lower belly soften. Rest
for a few breaths and start the process again. Repeat this sequence several more times
before beginning to play.
You may want to play/sing a few notes breathing this way as you start your practicing. You can
also repeat step number six during your practice session or performance if you feel your lower
belly beginning to tighten.

20

12. Pacing your breath

This body warm-up can be done while sitting or standing. You can even pace your breath while
waiting to sing/play as a way of calming your nerves.
1. Begin by noticing the length of your inhale and comparing it to the length of your exhale. Are
they about equal in length, or does one seem longer than the other?
2. Put a slight pause between breathing in and breathing out. Notice how you stop the air. Do
you stop the air by closing your throat and/or tightening your chest? Stop the airow by simply
stopping breathing for a moment.
3. Now add a pause between breathing out and breathing in. Notice how you stop the air here. Go
back to breathing normally and rest.
4. Begin tapping with one of your index ngers at a relatively slow pace (quarter note =
approximately 50-63 beats per second). Once you have established a steady tempo, count the
number of taps it takes to inhale and compare that with the number it takes to exhale. Repeat
this several times and rest.
5. Begin tapping again and this time inhale over the course of four taps and exhale over four.
Repeat this for a number of cycles making sure your lips and throat are relaxed.
6. Add a one beat pause in between the exhale and the inhale, and between the inhale and exhale.
Once you have repeated that several times, increase the pauses to two beats. After breathing
through several more cycles, let it go and rest.
7. Start tapping again and begin to breathe in for four counts, wait for four counts, breathe out
over the span of four counts, pause for four counts and breathe in again repeating this cycle
several times. Begin to notice how you transition from the pause to breathing in/out again. Are
the transitions smooth? Is breathing in/out constant over the four counts or do you nd yourself
breathing in quickly and then having to wait longer before you get to the pause? Rest after
noticing the transitions and smoothness of your breathing.
8. Once more, begin tapping and this time extend the length of your inhale and exhale to six
counts. Keep the pauses at four for now. If this becomes too difcult or you feel short of breath,
rest for a moment and then continue. If it still feels uncomfortable, go back to step seven. Now
increase the length of the pauses to six counts. As the pauses get longer, notice what happens
in the back of your neck and throat as you transition from the pauses to breathing in/out. Also
notice what happens to the smoothness of your inhale/exhale. After several cycles, rest and let
your breathing regulate itself.
9. You may want to experiment with different lengths of inhaling and exhaling. You could try
lengthening the exhalation and shortening the inhalation, which more closely resembles the
situation when playing/singing.
When playing/singing long passages, notice if you tend to tighten in the back of your neck or
throat when inhaling. Sometimes you may feel that you need to gulp or gasp for air when the
phrases get long. If you do nd yourself making extraneous movements in your neck, jaw and
chest, go back to playing shorter phrases and gradually increase the length while keeping your
neck, jaw and chest relaxed.

21

13. Breathing out with alternating movements of contracting

and extending your abdomen- sitting
If you feel any signs of hyperventilation (dizziness or lightheaded) during this body warm-up
stop immediately and wait for the signs to pass. Start up again, but do fewer repetitions or
reduce the rate of exhalation.
1. Sit so that your back and pelvis are free from the back of the chair. Have your feet resting
fully on the oor and a comfortable distance apart from each other. Make sure your knees
are over your feet so that your lower legs are roughly perpendicular to the oor. If your feet
do not easily rest on the oor then sit a bit more forward on the chair.
2. Notice how it feels to inhale. Does the air come in easily or do you have the feeling that you
must work to bring in the air? If you have the feeling that there is some resistance when
inhaling, where do you feel this? Do you feel it in your chest, abdomen, throat, or perhaps a
combination of these areas?
3. Begin breathing out by contracting your belly quickly and rapidly. If possible breathe
through your nose. If this is not possible, breathe through your mouth but keep your throat,
jaw and lips relaxed. Continue breathing out this way rapidly (one exhale right after the
other) and ignore the inhalation by letting the air come in by itself. Repeat this ten to twenty
times and then rest.
4. Breathe out once by contracting your belly quickly and then alternate that with breathing
out by extending your belly (as in audio lesson 8). Between each exhalation, let the air come
in by it self, as if there were no need to inhale. Repeat this rapidly ten to twenty times and
rest.
5. Alternate breathing out by contracting your belly and pushing it out slowly and powerfully.
If you are breathing through your mouth, make sure your throat and lips are relaxed. Again,
let the air come in by itself quickly so there is very little time between exhalations. Repeat
this ten to twenty times and then rest.
6. Repeat step four.
7. When you are ready to sing/play start a few notes by contracting your belly and a few by
extending your belly. Do this slowly and gently and listen to the sound quality to hear if
there is a difference between the two types of exhaling. How does it feel to inhale now? Is
there more ease or freedom as compared to when you started? If so, where do you notice
the change(s)?
If you begin to feel that your inhaling is become limited or restricted during your practice
session, go back and repeat steps four and ve.

22

14. Breathing out with alternating movements of

contracting and extending your abdomen- standing
1. Stand with you feet a comfortable distance apart and have your knees slightly bent. Let your
arms hang down at your sides.
2. Notice how it feels to inhale. Does the air come in easily or do you have the feeling that you
must work to bring in the air? If you have the feeling that there is some resistance when
inhaling, where do you feel this? Do you feel it in your chest, abdomen, throat or perhaps a
combination of these areas?
3. Begin breathing out by contracting your belly quickly and rapidly. If possible breathe
through your nose. If this is not possible, breathe through your mouth but keep your throat,
jaw and lips relaxed. Continue breathing out this way rapidly (one exhale right after the
other) and ignore the inhalation by letting the air come in by itself. Repeat this ten to twenty
times and then rest.
4. Breathe out once by contracting your belly quickly and then alternate that with breathing
out by extending your belly (as in audio lesson 8). Between each exhalation, let the air come
in by itself, as if there were no need to inhale. Repeat this rapidly ten to twenty times and
rest.
5. Alternate breathing out by contracting your belly and pushing it out slowly and powerfully.
If you are breathing through your mouth, make sure your throat and lips are relaxed. Again,
let the air come in by itself quickly so there is very little time between exhalations. Repeat
this ten to twenty times and then rest.
6. Repeat step four.
7. When you are ready to sing/play start a few notes by contracting your belly and a few by
extending your belly. Do this slowly and gently and listen to the sound quality to hear if
there is a difference between the two types of exhaling. How does it feel to inhale now? Is
there more ease or freedom as compared to when you started? If so, where do you notice
the change(s)?
If you begin to feel that your inhaling is become limited or restricted during your practice
session, go back and repeat steps four and ve.

23

Appendix:
More information about the Feldenkrais Method
The Feldenkrais Method (FM) was developed by and named after Dr. Mosh Feldenkrais
(1904-1984) who, in addition to being a mechanical engineer and physicist, was one of the
rst Europeans to hold a black belt in Judo. Dr. Feldenkrais began to develop his method
as a response to a series of knee injuries. Determined to rehabilitate himself but unsatised
with traditional medical solutions for his injuries, he began to study human development,
evolution, physiology and neurology as well as many other schools of thought. In addition
to facilitating his own recovery, he discovered that his ideas were applicable to many other
people with a wide variety of difculties and interests. Two of his most famous students were
Yehudi Menuhin and Peter Brooks.
Dr. Feldenkrais realized that the motor cortex (the part of the brain responsible for moving
muscles) is exible and can change and adapt throughout a persons whole life. This idea
is now being conrmed by modern neuroscience. What Dr. Feldenkrais also discovered is
that people who engage in activities requiring a high level of skill and precision rene their
movement patterns for that specic activity, but often fail to include the parts of themselves
that support these functions. Of course, in order to perform at high levels, a certain degree of
specialization is absolutely necessary. For musicians, this specialization in combination with
stress factors (stage fright, pressure to perform, long and tiring rehearsals, etc.), may lead to
overuse, and possible pain/injury.
For a long time, it was thought that the one and only way to improve musical performance
was to practice, practice harder and practice longer. More recently, because many
performers and even students suffer from performance and practice related maladies,
enterprising musicians have been searching for answers beyond the eld of music teaching,
and investigating other realms of learning. What many teachers, students and performers
are discovering is that looking outside of the musical world not only brings relief from the
maladies associated with countless hours of practicing, rehearsing and performing, but
actually can enhance the study and performance of music. One system that has proven to be
very benecial is the Feldenkrais Method (FM).
For example, a utist may have cultivated his nger dexterity to a very high level, but has
neglected the use of his legs and pelvis while standing. This leads to a lack of support and
freedom in his shoulders, which in turn begins to limit the nimbleness of his ngers. If
our utist feels that his ngers are not working as quickly as they should, he may begin to
emphasize nger exercises in his daily practice routine. Now he is working overtime with his
hand and ngers to compensate for his lack of awareness in his pelvis and legs.
However, by improving the use of his legs and pelvis, standing will become easier, his
shoulders freer and he will be able to improve the use of his ngers. Additionally, because
standing has become easier and more comfortable, his breathing will improve, his neck
will feel longer and his tongue becomes lighter and faster. So in working with parts of his
body seemingly unrelated to ute playing, he has prevented possible injury or damage to his
ngers and improved his overall playing ability. This is one simple example of how the FM is
useful for musicians.
24

For more information on the

, ATM tapes, books
about the Method or to locate a practitioner in your area, contact:
The International Feldenkrais Federation
www.feldenkrais-method.org
The Feldenkrais Guild
www.feldenkrais.com
1-800-775-2118
Feldenkrais Resources (no practitioner referrals)
830 Bancroft Way, Ste. 112
Berkeley, CA 94710
1-800-765-1907
www.feldenkrais-resources.com

Additional reading:
Books by Mosh Feldenkrais on the Feldenkrais Method
Feldenkrais, Moshe.1991, Awareness Through Movement.
San Francisco: Harper San Francisco
_____. 1994, Body Awareness As Healing Therapy: The Case of Nora.
Frog Ltd
_____. 2003, Body & Mature Behavior: A Study of Anxiety, Sex, Gravitation & Learnin
Learning.
International Universities Press
_____. 1981, The Elusive Obvious. Cupertino, California: Meta Publications
Feldenkrais, Moshe and Michaeleen Kimmey. 1992, The Potent Self: A Guide to
Spontaneity. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco
Feldenkrais, Moshe, Michaeleen Kimmey and Mark Reese. 2002, The Potent Self: A Study
of Spontaneity & Compulsion. Frog Ltd

25

Books and articles about the Feldenkrais Method from other authors.
Nelson, Samuel H. and Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. 2002, Singing with Your Whole Self.
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Shafarman, Steven. 1997, Awareness Heals. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.
American Suzuki Journal
The Feldenkrais Method, Linda Case Speaks with Paul Rubin
Volume 23, Number 2 - February 1995
Tarr, John. 2004, The Dynamic Musician Ser
Series: Dynamic Stability and Breath, Volume 1
www.dynamicmusician.com
Tarr, John. 2005, The Magic Piccolo. Senseability: A newsletter of applications of the
Feldenkrais Method of somatic education written by Guild Certied Feldenkrais
Teachers Issue number 34
Available on-line: http://www.feldenkrais.com/senseability/detail

Other sources on the anatomy and theory of breathing

Calais-Germain, Blandine. 1993, Anatomy of Movement. Seattle: Eastland Press Inc.
Conable, Barbara. 2000, The Structures and Movement of Breathing. Chicago:
GIA Publications, Inc.
Frederiksen, Brian. 1996, Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind. Windsong Press Limited.
Todd, Mable. 1937, The Thinking Body. Pennington, NJ, Princeton Book Co.

26

About the Author

John Tarr studied Trombone Performance at the University of Northern Colorado and the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music Performance
respectively). Additionally, John is a Guild Certied Feldenkrais PractitionerCM and
Assistant Trainer working in private practice in Basel, Switzerland and Feldenkrais Teacher
Training Programs. He also maintains a small trombone studio and gives workshops in The
Dynamic Musician Series and the Feldenkrais Method in Europe and the U.S.A.
If you would like to schedule a DMS workshop at your school or in your area, nd out about
scheduled workshops or have questions regarding the DMS, please visit the DMS website:
www.dynamicmusician.com. Podcasts of mini-DMS lessons are also available for free from
the website and iTunes music store.

27

28

The Dynamic Musician Series:

Dynamic Stability and Breath-Digital Version
2007 by John Tarr
All rights reserved. Published 2007
CD mastering: Hans Jrg Lutz, Sky Music
Photos: Paul Rubin
Feldenkrais, Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement, Functional Integration,
and Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild
of North America;
Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM is a certification mark of the Feldenkrais Guild of
North America.